The Secret
by evil-catgirl
Summary: Shira is hiding something from Diego. Now he thinks the worse and believes she wants to separate from him.


"Shira, slowly I'm really going to worry about you. Are you sure you just ate something wrong?" Diego got more and more nervous because his tigress felt worse by the day. First she was only slightly dizzy. This went on to proper faintness attacks. Moreover, her eyes looked so pale and slightly absent. He could bring her food and drink to their shared cave but a saber-toothed also needed to move enough.

"Perhaps I have captured something. Nevertheless, it isn't necessary that you watching each step of me." She replied and she knew that he just wanted to help her but for three days he only left her side when she slept. Moreover, she had the feeling that he forgets his food from all the worry. In fact she couldn't remember when she had seen him eat the last time.

"I'm just afraid that outside something happens to you when you aren't quite yourself." He gave a little sheepishly, feeling guilty about her sentence.

"I know that." With that she leaned her head against his. She had a feeling about what was wrong with her but she was a little afraid to tell him.

"Could you then at least talk to Ellie about it? I'll leave you then the rest of the day alone." He suggested as he snuggled up to her. He would like to feel bad like this now rather as to see his wife suffer.

So it was not long before the two ran to the mammoths. It was already noon and so they had luck that they only met two big animals. The men simply started walking off afterwards, leaving the two women alone.

"Do you mind if we go to the lake?" The silver-gray tigress inquired.

"Of course not. It's a beautiful day. Therefore swimming isn't a bad idea." Ellie said and she also noticed that her friend looked bad. Soon as they were nearby the water began Shira finally to list her symptoms and also said what, in her opinion may lie behind it.

"That's wonderful then." But the tigress slowed the mammoth joy a little.

"And what if I've really just captured something in the end? I was never in a position before to imagine becoming a mother. There is usually always someone at a pack who has already gone through this. I really like our herd Ellie but you can't compare a mammoth with saber-toothed tiger. I would just hate it to disappoint Diego." Sadly, she let her head hang down. But the larger animal she doesn't wanted her to look sad and so she raised her head with the trunk again.

"No matter what you do or say, you can not disappoint Diego so easy. He loves you just as you are. With or without offspring." Of course, Shira was aware of that. He had a way that she constantly remembers this. Therefore, she would also find it wonderful to have children with him. But for a while it seemed as if she doesn't want to get pregnant. She doesn't tell this plan her husband. Nevertheless, the hope seemed to be getting smaller. She had already partly so come to terms that mother nature didn't want it for her. When she felt so sick more just one day, there came new confidence back into her. Although she hasn't imagined it like this.

"It's just not that simple." Replied the tigress because it could be that she just has eaten something spoiled what her husband didn't touch. Here and there are also times where she ate without him. Of course it was mostly just fish. For larger things she had to go farther away from her friends and she doesn't want to do this alone.

"I know you are maybe a little afraid to say it. Even I felt uneasy when I was absolutely certain."

"How could you be sure that you were pregnant?"

"Even if we are different species there are still signs that are the same and they can't be overlooked. Nevertheless, I think that you're a little too warm so let's go into the water." Said the mammoth mother and took the trunk back from the head of her friend. As this was in the cool water, she felt a lot better and now she could think a little clearer. Nor would she conceal her thoughts before Diego but Ellie was right. Once demonstrated the smallest signs that she is expecting a baby she'd noticed this first.

So the two friends chatted a bit while they cooled off. The mammoth shared her experiences with Shira and she listened attentively. Because whether they were different species, she still could learn here and there a bit. The stories of Ellie let her more hope that there was something growing up in her.

Of course, she also made herself clear that she isn't allowed to despair when she isn't pregnant. But she knew that at her side is always someone who supported her.

Nevertheless, with every passing day she liked the thought more of being a mother. Two days later, the nausea was still there but the rest was gone. Moreover, she felt hungry. But this could also be because she fed herself rather poor even if her husband brought her a lot.

However, Diego was happy that his tigress could almost depend him again when they're looking for food because she had so much energy. Although he realized that she wasn't quite fit but he was sure that she would get back to normal in time.

"I'm glad you feel better again... eh, Shira?" They were just about to run back to her cave. But his partner just stood there.

"Are you okay?" He inquired as she looked at the floor. Suddenly she gazed up and shook her head.

"It's nothing." She said to reassure him but then she quickly changed her mind and grinned slightly.

"Well, there is something after all." She walked closer to him and licked him teasingly over the snout before she gave him a certain look. The male saber-toothed knew exactly what that meant and looked a little nervously.

"Here?" He asked, swallowing and she nodded with a seductive smile.

"Here." With that she began to kiss him. First she just played to see if Diego was getting along with it. But when she realized that he wanted it too, she grew bolder.

Sometime later, when it was getting dark and they are both arrived back in their cave since the male saber tooth noticed that something else on his wife. He quickly shook his head because it was probably just an illusion.

"Is something wrong?" Shira wanted to know when she saw the look of the other.

"It's nothing. I am glad that you are feeling better today." He lay with her to the ground and both fell asleep immediately.

A few days later when he ran to the river with her because is so wonderful weather, it was still there. First he thought Shira would smell different because they both came here and there in contact with other animals. But now they were engaged in fishing for a short time in the water and the strange smell just didn't disappear from her fur. Yes she had his on her too. Just as the other way around because they sleep in the same cave. But there is also something strange hanging on her. It made the whole thing worse that it was getting stronger with the time. Diego doesn't want to believe that there was another saber for her. And if he would still know where the guy was staying. After all, he knew the valley very well because they have lived here for a while.

"Hey, you don't have to cut the fish into such fine strips." So she brought him back from his thoughts and he looked at his paws. He really has destroyed his food between his claws. At least he did not have to chew as much now.

"Do you mind if I go for a walk alone?"

"Of course not. Just go." Answered Shira and he tried not to think that she's glad to be rid of him. When he was out of her sight, he ran fast as possible to the places where another of his kind would stay. Of course, he could have simply asked her but he wasn't really ready to hear the words like separation and over out of her mouth. It had taken so long to find someone who accepts him and his friends like that. He wouldn't and couldn't just give her up. So now he wanted to see his rival to check which one is better for the tigress.

Is he younger? Bigger? Or he only might look better? These questions and others raced in Diego's head as he ran through the underbrush.

But when he wasn't able to find someone, he doesn't know what to do and whether he should be happy now. Perhaps it was only a short meeting and the stranger is already gone over the hills.

Why smelled his tigress then more and more like someone else? He has no evidence and yet he felt betrayed somehow. Of course he still loved her. Nothing in the world could so easily change that. Nevertheless, he would later try to talk to her about. Although it should be difficult for him to even begin the conversation.

"Uncle Diego?" Startled, he looked up when suddenly the young mammoth out of nowhere stood before him.

"Oh, hey Peaches." He greeted her as always friendly and quickly moved to another expression.

"Is something wrong?" She asked suspiciously because she saw how the saber-toothed stared angry and then sad at the floor previously. She also had several times spoken to him but he seemed too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice her.

"No. Everything is great and.." But she interrupted him.

"You know you can talk about anything at any time with me or my parents. Just now you don't look like everything is 'great'. Is something wrong with Shira? Is she feeling worse again?"

"No. She is actually on the way to recovery. But tell me you're traveling alone today?" The male saber-toothed saw Peaches otherwise rarely alone. This responded to this question affected.

"It's not like that I have to spend the whole day with him." She explained then a bit angry and Diego went straight back a little because he doesn't expect that.

"Actually, I just meant that you don't walk as usual with someone else through the area. But apparently not everything is great with you."

"Hey don't make this about me!" She said, a little brusque but afterwards she felt sorry for it.

"I meant it like that but do you ever feel that you're going on Shira's nerves?" She said the sentence a little sheepishly then after all she was growing up enough to solve such problems herself. However, Diego smiled in relief as he thought at first she would arrive with difficult things. But he knew what she was talking because he was already in such situations.

"Listen Peaches. Don't ignore him and go out of his way. Tell him what you're thinking and you want to hear his opinion."

"Uncle Diego you're right. I should at least try. But only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to promise me that you follow your own advice. Dad said earlier that you already running a while through the valley and looking for something. I then wanted to see you because there was just nothing to do for me. At first I thought you are looking Shira but when I found you here, I knew that something was bothering you. So talk to her and if that does not work then you can always come to us." The tiger glanced short in astonishment at her before he smiled again and nodded. It seemed to him as if it was only yesterday that this girl had come in the world and now she is a grown woman. He was really proud of her.

Therefore they said goodbye for now and then each went their own way. For Diego that was back in their cave. At least he suspected Shira there. She will hardly be still on the riverbank. So he ran with better thoughts in his mind going to his tigress. Maybe he painted the situation to black and at the end it wasn't as bad as he thought.

When he finally arrived in the cave it was already dark because he hasn't really hurried despite intent. Nevertheless, he saw that she was still awake because she blinked at him from her sleeping place.

"Where have you been so long?" She whispered but he noticed that she was tired. So he snuggled up to her like every night.

"Doesn't matter." He answered softly and closed his eyes. The conversation he had to put off until tomorrow then. His partner didn't ask further so he assumed she had fallen asleep again.

But the next day he also doesn't lost a word over his concern. Even if he would get time for ever to think about it he still doesn't know how to start such a conversation. The fear that she would leave him increased more and more. He could simply no longer explain this then she stepped hardly from his side and he has become twice as watchful since the first time he noticed this smell on her.

"Diego? Is everything all right?" Of course, she also noticed his behavior.

"Yes of course. Why do you ask?" He tried not to be nervous or otherwise kind of odd. She shook her head then and smiled.

"Never mind. Nevertheless, I want to talk to you about something." The male saber-toothed tried to swallow the heavy lump that just formed in his throat. He thought about in hurry what he could do to avoid the coming problem. That wasn't so difficult because they were on the way to their friends.

What he doesn't expect was that Shira at some point had enough of his games that day. So she just took the initiative.

"Can we talk to each other?" Everyone noticed that her voice sounded a little sharp. Diego tried nevertheless to ignore it.

"Doesn't can it wait?" He asked, not even looking at her. He had just been trying to make fun with Manny of some sloth.

"No, it can't. So?"

"No matter what it is the others can also hear it." The tiger declared as calm as possible and hoped that she wouldn't really end this with him in front of their friends.

"All right." She said and sighed. However, Diego held in horror the air and finally looked at her. In his mind he tried it to communicate with her that she couldn't possibly do that here and now. Even more, he wondered whether the time with her was now finally over. That seemed too short for him. He wanted to experience so much more with her.

Slowly, her mouth began to move again. Terrified he could only wait for the end.

"We have a baby." That was the last thing he heard before he falls down on his side and his eyes closed automatically. When he opened them again, he was no longer in the middle of his friends but in their cave. He slowly stood up and looked around then Shira wasn't here. Is she already gone?

But then he remembered the words that she uttered before he fell unconscious. It left a strange nice feeling back in him. Then he saw the silver-haired tigress. She was sitting at the entrance of their home letting the sun shine on her fur.

"Hey." He heard of her but she doesn't turn to face him.

"Hey." He answered just as quietly and sat down beside her. Only then she turned her head to look into his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me that you don't feel well?" She wanted to know a little strictly of him and he sighed because now they both had really to talk about everything.

"Actually it wasn't that I felt so uncomfortable. I am honest even if you are angry with me for it. Lately I've been thinking about whether you perhaps meet with another saber-toothed tiger. But before I haven't evidence I couldn't speak to you about it." But instead of that the tigress got angry as expected, she smiled at him.

"It is my smell, isn't it? That's why you thought so." Diego only nodded in response.

"Do you think I haven't noticed how you've turned up your nose the whole time? But none of the others noticed that. Probably because their sense of smell isn't as strong."

"So you know it for a while and why didn't you tell me right away?" The male saber-toothed wanted to know.

"I'm also sorry that I was silent about it but I was afraid that you might not want it anymore.

Our conversation about children was a while ago and I thought that you've maybe changed your mind now." Ashamed she looked away but it doesn't last long and then he stands up again. He placed himself over her made that she rolled onto her back. Nevertheless, she dared still not to look him in the eyes. But with on of his paws he took her head in his direction.

"How could you think such a thing? Of course I would still like it and I love you. No matter what happens. We should just agree that we both acted a bit idiotic in the last days." She nodded and gave him a beautiful smile. Diego couldn't help it and kissed her.

"Maybe you a little more. Then I haven't searched the whole area for foreign saber-toothed tigers." She explained a little amused when they parted from one another again.

"Who told you that?" He demanded and played to be offended.

"Your buddies. By the way Sid has strangely won the bet."

"What bet?"

"How you will react when I tell you that I'm pregnant."

"They have bet on it?"

"Now don't do so stunned. Ellie told me that you have wagered on Manny's reaction when she was pregnant with Peaches." The saber tooth cursed inwardly a little that the women always had to tell everything each other.

"So are you excited that we are going to be parents?"

"But of course, Shira. I couldn't be happier." To underline his sentence he kissed her again but this time a little more passion.

"And when the little one is in the world uncle Sid is allowed to babysit." Announced the sloth and Diego hit this only with one his paws, making it to fall down the mountain again. The saber tooth turned again unconcerned to his wife.


End file.
